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Home arrow Learn arrow Nutrition arrow The Truth About The Mystery Meat
The Truth About The Mystery Meat Print E-mail
Friday, 14 December 2007
 

Hot dogs, hamburgers, spam and so much more, a look into the mystery meats of our youth and the effects they have on us.
        Growing up I was always advised to scrap the hamburgers at public picnics and go for the hot dogs instead. Although this advice potentially saved me from such immediate illnesses such as E. coli, the World Cancer Research Fund has found out new information that it has probably increased my risk for cancer by overwhelming numbers.
        I am now 20 years old and consider myself a healthy individual. I maintain healthy exercise key to being a traceur and I (so I thought) eat healthy on a daily basis. This is the illusion I think many of us have and is the reason why the WCRF completely blew me away. If I were to continue eating things included in my normal weekly diet (processed meats) I could potentially be at risk for developing cancer.
        Processed meats come in surprising quantities. They can be found all over grocery stores in the candy section (in the form of beef jerky), to the canned goods section (soups with meat and pasta products with meat), to the actual section with all forms of processed meats from salami to pepperoni, and from bacon to sausage. Now although these foods are generally considered "not bad" when consumed in light quantities, what's ever more probable is the daily consumption of a certain dangerous ingredient found in almost all of these products: sodium nitrite.
        Sodium nitrite is a food additive that not only prevents the risk of botulism but also colors the meat and makes it look more fresh than it may actually be. A meat packers dream. A quick look at the wiki site for sodium nitrite will show a huge contradiction between pros and cons of its use, being labeled first as a potential carcinogen while also claiming its applicability to treat sickle cell anemia and heart attacks in infants.
        Sodium nitrite was found to under-go a chemical reaction which produces nitrosamines – known carcinogens and greatly increase the chances for colon and pancreatic cancer. Taken from the American Institute for Cancer Research article on the subject, "The British review noted a 49 percent increased risk when 25 grams of processed meat (about half a hot dog) is consumed daily."
        According to Mike Adams (the author of the article which brought this to my attention) the USDA did acknowledge the dangers of this additive all the way back in the 70's but were silenced by the meat industry who "insisted the chemical was safe and accused the USDA of trying to 'ban bacon.'"
        After several hours of researching who said this and who believes what, I've decided to retract my previously said statement and rephrase, "I am 20 years old and I will consider myself a healthy individual." A healthy individual with a diet free from these products and a new found activism to not be so passive about these ingredients I cannot pronounce or understand. After all, they may be the reason why our society is so disease ridden or so likely to develop cancer. To stop it, all it may take is one person to simply ask "why?"


Reference-
Original article by Mike Adams - http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/newsletter/12-07-07_thb_fri.html

Wiki search for sodium nitrite - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nitrate

WCRF's website - http://www.wcrf.org/

The AICR article - http://www.aicr.org/site/News2?abbr=res_&page=NewsArticle&id=7470

Users' Comments  RSS feed comment
 

Display 44 of 44 comments

1. 01-29-2008 14:02

:) OMG THANK YOU... I tell people all the time about that. Actually im a Vegetarian, but I always try to get people to cut out meats like: Hotdogs, Bologna, Salami, etc. and other products like American Cheese and Mayonnaise

2. 02-18-2008 09:45

Oh noez... I don't know if I could drop my Spam Musubi... :grin at least I rarely have it though. I could never stop eating bacon though... we try to buy "good quality" bacon. I haven't eaten Fast Food in about 5 years. My family almost never eats out (10 times a year??) and we always get as fresh of ingredients as we can find. Even still I'm sure we get our share of these extra chemicals.

3. 03-21-2008 05:49

Does anyone have any suggestions about where to get meat that hasn't been processed like this that won't take a huge chunk out of my paycheck.

4. 03-24-2008 09:47

Two suggestions 1. localharvest.com and search for your town or 2. become vegetarian (yes i am one too)

5. 03-25-2008 05:42

So the only problem is the sodium nitrates? Why don't we just find a safer substitute for NaNO3?

6. 04-26-2008 20:33

"Applegate farms" is a company that sells natural meat produced without nitrates nationally. While being quite expensive, I think this is a much healthier choice. You might have to ask where it is or special order it thou..

7. 07-24-2008 15:13

btw @ vegetarians...not to disrespect you but it's not that health being vegetarian , you miss out on many proteins... sorry if it's off subject just trying to help even if its not going to change your mind..

8. 07-28-2008 10:18

That's where beans, tofu, and soy come in. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that stuff like those are chocked full of protein, without the added bad cholesterol.

9. 08-08-2008 09:21

hey people this might be a lil off topic but the topic alsohad a big thing about cancer. do yous wanna know how to prevent cancer? well i ante going to tell u everythink beacous who will belive some one about somethink like that on a forums but ill tell u somethink and u can research it for yourself and see and get your own opinion. 
go to google and research for an hour or so and get a whol heap of information about vitamin B17 witch can also cure it look it all up for yourself's and find out where u can get it from beacous u cant bye it but ca find it in some things u wouldent usualy eat!!!!

10. 08-27-2008 20:25

thank goodness i detest processed meat :D 
ironically i live in austin minnesota, you've never heard of it but may be its alias (SPAM town U.S.A)

11. 09-24-2008 11:44

omg what the fuck how is it that no one ever tells me this shit god damn im 17 and my brother and I eat hotdogs and all that shit all day along with fast food every other day :x

12. 10-30-2008 16:49

Dude ur a life-saver...i'm definately going to become a vegetarian!

13. 11-01-2008 06:22

I can never consider myself a vegetarian in that I would never eat at someone's house and expect them to accomodate me (e.g. refuse to eat the food they prepared with me in mind) but left up to my own, mine is an almost totally vegetarian diet (and the nerd bomb drops!) I have an unabashed love for veggies. If you are willing to shell out the $$$ I might recommend Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. OF course you can add meat as you see fit but I personally feel that a largely vegetable diet can be a responsible, decent and rewarding choice.

14. 12-16-2008 05:36

I eat meat everyday...alot... 
But there is no way i can go veggie, I need my meat, I only weigh 108 and I'm 16! :cry :cry :cry

15. 12-26-2008 18:55

dude no wounder i way as much as i do :( darn those meats. but i still need meat, i cant stop, but also i love salads hey combine 2 good meals to make one awesome meal. A chicken salad or a....a..... darn thats all i can think of. and shoot no wounder i way 210 an im 18 crud this sucks. i need to start eating veggie's uhh. :cry this kinda sucks but it'll help me in the long run

16. 01-01-2009 17:10

OH MY GOSH!! I had no idea! I myself love meat but man thats crazY!! Im not saying i dont belive you, its just that, i like meat a lot. not the fast food crap though. :? :? :? :sigh

17. 01-04-2009 19:11

What doesn't cause cancer, these days?

18. 01-07-2009 10:56

yeah even though i avoided fast food b4 now im gonna try my best to completely avoid it

19. 01-10-2009 14:20

Vegan here :grin I dont have to worry about that stuff :p

20. 01-10-2009 21:01

@ambi: I've never heard of someone with protein deficiency, even vegans. But there are only 5 ways I know of that vegetarians could become protein deficient: 1) Eating excessive junk food 2) Eating only fruit 3)Eating only crops whose protein content is very low (impossible in U.S.) 4) An infant were to be fed just grains and veggies, due to the immaturity of its digestive system 5) Starving. 
(I'm a vegetarian for a variety of reasons)

21. 01-11-2009 14:49

what if its ground sirloin burgers? still unhealthy? (and i mean organic, none of that stuff added in) :?

22. 02-03-2009 11:43

hey nice to hear about other veggies in parkour! cheers! 8)  
i was laktoveg for 3years, now im vegan more then 2 years, 5 years without meat and i still alive! its not a trick. just question of decision. i met somerealveganfighters. 
even if you are a meat eater i advise to eat 1/3 raw (veg,fruit), 1/3 nuts, dried fruits, and 1/3 cooked (better vegetables with beans, green stuff, grains). i do also twice a month a fast day only water. in a year twice weekly fast, when you lose some muslces, but after like a survivor of a catastroph become even stronger (in mind of course, and need to train hard

23. 02-03-2009 11:49

anyway: try to get organic veg,fruits. these sicks are not only in meat but in drinks, chips, ready meals, and in a lot of stuff. be carefull what are you eating! maybe you dont feel it now, and want to be on the "top of the neigbourgh parkour bunch" and develop fast, but i have to say be carefull with thinking like that! the doctors lot of time dont why cancer and other stuff, thats why: food! 
youare what you are eating! 
practice on fast day, not hard just how you feel, new experience! ;)

24. 02-03-2009 11:51

ah yes! dont eat soya, tofu which origin is uncertain its probably from southamericas destroyed jungle, where the bastards growing lots of GMO veg!

25. 02-13-2009 05:24

You have to eat a lot of meat if youīre training. Hotdogs, hamburguers, etc. are not meat but pure crap. Your body needs animal proteins and you can find them in a meet beef, fish, milk, cheese and eggs (donīt fry them). However, you should go to see a nutritionist first!

26. 02-13-2009 07:13

You know hotdogs are wurse for you and your right about the meat if it's proccessed then you shouldn't eat it It is slightly better for you if you can eat Meat that hasn't been Proccesed but even still an animal can spell blood so when A cow for example gets killed for meat the next cow they go to can spell the death basically so they go cray and inject Adrenaline into there muscals so it's not good for you in general

27. 02-13-2009 16:25

Sorry, but I rather listen to my sport doctor, my nutritionist, my hematologist and the rest of the professionals in health that work for me than listen to someone I donīt know and who have never seen any of my blood tests or health exams. I have thalassemia disease. If I had followed your diet, I would be dead by now!

28. 02-17-2009 16:31

I have to become a vegan! :eek

29. 02-21-2009 12:33

No you do NOT have to convert to a vegetarian or a vegan. My dad's eaten this for over 30 years (reference to the 70's statement) and he's still, or at least looks, fine. The message overall i think is to eat wise and work out. Its mainly the fast food and chips that are definitely LOADED with the chemical/element.

30. 03-01-2009 22:41

What :eek no......... :( not that, ANYTHING BUT MY BACON :cry !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, my diet is mostly lean meats and wild game. Practicing parkour to actually chase my game better through the woods hehehe. But salami? Pepperoni? BACON!? The sausage i can do without but i can't live without my bacon, man. And believe it or not, i'm only 150lbs lol and here i am talking like i was still a fat boy. Ok, i'll cut hot dogs out of my life, pizza on occasion, and maybe a club sandwitch every once in a while. But thank you, i'm looking forward to practicing parkour

31. 04-03-2009 19:39

I will generally stick to chicken and fish... Do they have the same problems?

32. 04-09-2009 05:18

But I love bacon.

33. 04-13-2009 04:43

I thought fish ans skinless chicken were good for you? :?

34. 05-01-2009 14:02

Hey HIntofinsanity i was just in spam town U.S.A. earlier today! haha. So just wondering do you ever get used to the smell? anyways ya this is very helpful. I rarely eat processed meats. I still eat meat though. I have found that its good going for lean white meats after working out and training. Turkey or chicken or stuff like that. It is very good after training because of the protein. if you are having sore muscles after training days this might help a bit. It will help your muscles to heal. Also milk has quite a bit of protein. And it builds strong bones. Nice benefit for us!

35. 05-27-2009 16:20

No one is saying that you have to stop eating everything right away and become a vegan its a personal choice but the trick is to limit yourself and to make a choice to eat healthier.

36. 06-02-2009 14:38

Being a vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean you're healthier. You do lack many proteins and omega fatty acids only naturally found in meats(like fish and chicken). Dont let this article freak you out and quit meat(I mean come on who can resist a good steak?) just get healtier, non-processed meat.

37. 06-18-2009 09:23

No....This article was not to get people to become Vegetarians.....It simply states..."Watch What You Eat". Meat is very neccesary. Just be careful with stuff like slim jim and canned meats. Buy fresh meat from the meat aisle. Also watch for sausages, bacon and such meat products. 
 
This helped a lot. I was already a weary eater. Not trusting what to eat. But now I know more. Thanks.

38. 06-18-2009 09:28

Also as Oxtox said....eat plenty of fruits and vegetalbes as well....I am an omnivore so I eat basically the whole food pyramid....Ijust limit myself to how much meat, dairy, and fats and sweets I eat...as well as grain...Remember nuts are in the meat group on the pyramid....

39. 07-08-2009 13:24

the sad part is i ate a corn dog before reading this *goes to throw up*

40. 08-22-2009 08:26

If you want to know all about what you're eating I suggest that you read Kevin Trudeau's book 'Natural Cures' and then from there move on to the Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler. You might find them a little 'different' but it works and it's true...

41. 09-23-2009 13:52

are all of the vegetarians out there healthy. i mean does being a vegitarian really work

42. 10-04-2009 18:21

This is why i eat Organic meat and unprocessed foods. I usually buy beef in bulk (half a cow to be completely exact) its fresh, unprocessed, no added hormones... basically the best foods

43. 10-04-2009 18:23

Ohhh and you don't have to become vegetarian just aware of what your eating..... and protein (which is a big part of meat) can be found in nuts and other foods... you just have to become aware of the foods you eat so look for organic, unprocessed foods and as the saying goes " if you can't pronounce the ingredients in food, you probably shouldn't eat it"

44. 10-12-2009 11:43

look it up on wikipedia it says that sodium nitrile only creates nitrosamines if the temp. is too high plus, they add in ascorbic acid to stop it from creating it at all so in all it isn't as bad as it sounds ;)

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